I remember that I used to be pretty good at keeping to a plan.  I bought advertising for the release of The Redemption of Mr. Sturlubok some two months before we even finished the first draft.  But, that was life without dependents.  Although I’m really making an effort to write each day, especially in the summer, I’m learning that it’s pretty much impossible to plan too far ahead in terms of when I’ll be done with any piece of writing.  I used to think that Can Stuart Henry Zhang Save the World? would be complete in 2012, then for sure in 2013.  Well, I’ve already stated that won’t happen.  Not that I couldn’t–in fact, that’s the problem with self-publishing.  It’s too easy.  It’s just a matter of clicking a button and it’s done.  The difficult part is doing this when you know you’re happy with where it’s taken you.  And that’s pretty much impossible without stepping back a little.  When I step back and look at Can Stuart Henry Zhang Save the World? (which Daniel is currently reading over but likely won’t be able to aide with any major revisions) I realize there is a lot of work to do.  I’m still hopeful on 2014, but I’ve been wrong many times before.  And to think that we had originally thought of having a sequel to The Adventures of Whatley Tupper out by now.   If that ever happens, it won’t be for a long time.  Who knows what form the entire book publishing industry will be in at that point.

Love is not free.  The price is 99 cents. has been progressing pretty well, although it seems like it will be longer than I expected.  Still won’t be an epic by any means, but compared to my last two solo outings, it will considerably more.  That said, The Year We Finally Solved Everything was originally twice the length it ended up as being, and I’m still not 100% it was a wise idea to hack it down so much.  Goes back to the whole idea of never really knowing when a piece of writing is finalized.  I don’t think I’ll finish the draft of Love is not free… this summer, but surely this year.  Think then that I’ll go back and forth between it and Stuart.  So, hopefully both will be out in 2014.  That year still sounds futuristic to me.  I have to remind myself that it’s not long at all.

Oh, and here’s the link to my interview with The Cascade, the University of the Fraser Valley’s student newspaper.